Residents of Derwent Avenue and motorists who use the street to get to the center of town will need an alternate route today. That’s because PSE&G crews are cutting open a section of the street to replace its aging cast iron gas pipes with new piping. More than two dozen Verona streets will also be getting upgrades under the program, which is expected to run through August.
PSE&G says the new plastic or steel gas pipes it is installing will cut the chances of gas leaks and reduce gas flow if a pipe is damaged. The new gas mains will be able to support higher gas pressure, which will better support high-efficiency appliances like furnaces, water heaters and emergency generators. Verona residents who installed gas-powered backup generators in the wake of Hurricane Sandy often discovered that they had to pay for a costly, higher capacity gas line to have the generator function.
The PSE&G crews will be at work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and possibly on Saturday too. The utility has published a full list of affected streets on its website that is supposed to be color-coded according to the status of the work, with green signifying not yet started, blue for streets in progress and red for streets that have been completed. PSE&G will also be leaving hang tags on doors to notify residents when work on their street is starting. Residents having any questions or concerns can PSE&G/Orange Gas at 973-414-1443, or speak to the supervisor on the job site.
The gas work is one of several projects going on in town that could have residents interacting with new workers. Verona has begun to replace water meters, which means that crews will need access to both the inside and outside of our houses, and both Claremont Avenue and Crestmont Road are going to be repaved. Workers on all projects will be carrying appropriate identification and residents having questions about any work can call the main number at Town Hall, 973-239-3220, or the non-emergency number at the Verona Police Department, 973-239-5000.
